Blazing Cartoon Fire

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When it comes to drawing cartoon fire it's important to realize that fires are extremely dynamic creations. Because fires are so random in the way they appear, there is an infinite number of different ways that they can be drawn!

One of the easiest ways to draw fire is to draw a series of overlapping lines - similar to how a russian doll is structured.

Start on the inside and work your way outwards until you obtain the desired effect.

In this lesson, you'll learn how to draw fire that looks similar to the example on the right. At first glance, it looks somewhat complicated, but very soon - you'll see just how easy it really is...

...and with that said - let's get fired up!

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First Step - Draw a Circle and a Dot

The first thing to do is go ahead and draw a circle and a dot just like I've done in the image to the left.

The circle is your guideline for drawing the base of the cartoon fire. This is where you're first lines will originate from. The dot is simply a guide to help as you draw the flames going up and into the air.

I do understand that some people may find it easier to draw it without this simple guideline. Just keep in mind that whenever there is an easier way to go about drawing something, I like to mention it! So, why not try the circle and dot the first time around!

OK... all set to continue? Great, let's get going...

Second Step - Begin Drawing Your Cartoon Fire

Using the circle and the dot as your guideline, go ahead a begin to draw the first two lines that make up your fire, starting with with either the left or right side.

Begin at the center of the bottom of the circle, and from this point... follow the circle around to the left or right and then up and away from the circle. Do so - so that the line you draw, is slightly curved like an "S".

Next, go back to your starting point and draw a similar line on the opposite side. Make the flame (the line) either higher or lower than the first one that you drew. Remember, fire is random in appearance. Do your best to give off this effect!

On to the next step...

Third Step - Complete the Main Flame of the Fire

Now that you have the first two lines in place, continue by drawing some more curved S lines up and away from the circle.

In the example on the left, you can see how I've gone ahead and drawn three more "spikes". In your case, draw as many spikes as you like. For the sake of example, I kept mine nice and simple at just three.

The dot comes in handy here as it helps to mark the center of the drawing. This way you don't get too carried away to one side or the other. You can be random with your creations while still maintaining some evenness in your cartoon fire. But then again, having it bend more to the left or right may be more of the desired effect you're looking for.

Now that the main part of the fire is complete, only one last step remains...

Final Step - Inner & Outer Fire Flames

Using your circle and dot guideline, as well as the main flame that you've already drawn, go ahead and give your drawing some depth by drawing additional flame layers - both on the inside and outside.

Begin with the inner flame. To do this, use the main flame as a guide. Draw the inner flame so that it is smaller than yet similar to the main one.

Once the inner flame is drawn, go to the outside. Here, draw some outer layers that extend out from behind various parts of the main flame. It's at this stage where your cartoon fire really starts to take shape!

And... when you're all done the final and outer portion of your drawing - that's it! Sure, you could go on and on and on if you really wanted to. The point is, this gives you a solid example of how to draw cartoon fire.